Top 5 terrorist organisations operating from Pakistan

After the terrorist attack in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, the focus has once again shifted to Pakistan and its state sponsored terrorism. The attack has cost 8 lives including a SP rank officer. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already informed the Parliament that the terrorists came from Pakistan. Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI has, for a long time, used terrorist networks to carry out covert operations in India, Kashmir being a regular target.

Two major events made the headlines recently-Yakub Memon’s execution and Gurdaspur attack- and both have a ‘Pakistani connection’. 1993 serial Mumbai blasts, for which Memon has been convicted, was designed by Pakistan’s ISI and even Gurdaspur attack has Pakistan’s signature as well.

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India is the victim of Pakistan sponsored terrorism but the Islamic country itself is suffering from the organisations it created and groomed. There are a number of terrorist groups based in Pakistan which not only use the land to launch attacks on neighbouring countries like India but do not hesitate in killing the innocents within their own country.

Here goes a list of 10 major terrorist outfits working from Pakistani soil:

1- Jamaat-ud-Dawa

The US has named Pakistan’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) a “foreign terrorist organisation”, and United Nations Security Council has added it into the list of terrorist front groups. Its leader Hafiz Saeed is one of the most wanted criminals by India as he is accused of masterminding the Mumbai attacks in 2008. US has also declared a bounty of $10 million on Saeed’s head.

JuD is considered as the front for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Major attcks:

1- The group acts as a front of LeT and even finances its operations.
2- Its leader Hafiz Saeed masterminded 26/11 Mumbai attack.

2- Lashkar-e-Taiba

The group is supported by Pakistan intelligence agency ISI because of its anti-India activities. The LeT was formed in 1990 by Hafiz Saeed, who currently enjoys protection by the state. The group has actively participated in Kashmir and a major security issue for Indian authorities. India accuses the Pakistani government of training, funding and supporting the LeT to which the Pakistani government categorically denies.

Major attacks:

1-    Killed hundreds of Kashmiri pandits and security personnel in Kashmir in 1990s

2-    2001 attack on Delhi parliament

3-    Indian government accuses it of Mumbai serial blasts on 11 July 2006

4-    2008 Mumbai attacks

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3- Jaish-e-Muhammad

Jaish-e-Mohammed, abbreviated as JeM, is active in Kashmir. Founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, the group’s primary motive is to separate Kashmir from India and it has carried out several attacks primarily in state of Jammu & Kashmir. It has been banned in Pakistan since 2002, yet continues to operate several facilities in the country. India accuses Pak of supporting the group.

Major attacks:

1- The group, in coordination with Lashkar-e-Tayiba, has been implicated in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack
2- It has been suspected in the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi
3- Its founder Maulana Masood Azhar was freed in exchange for the passengers on the hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999

4- Al Badr

The group is Pakistan based terrorist outfit involved in militant activities in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. The group was formed in 1998 but its roots date back to before the time of Bangladesh. Al Badr terrorists attacked Bengalis in what was then known as East Pakistan.

The group was founded by Arfeen Bhai, also known as Jannisar or Lukmaan, who broke away from Hizb-ul-Mujahideen to form his own group. The group gets financial and logistics support from Pakistan’s ISI to carry out operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Major attacks:

1-    The group carried out several attacks on security forces in cooperation with other terror outfits in Kashmir.

2-    Al Badr is often used as a proxy by Pakistani Army against Indian forces

5- Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI)

The group is active in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India since the early 1990s but is mostly involved in anti-India activities. The operational commander of HuJI, Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a US Predator drone strike in South Waziristan on 4 June 2011.

The group has been involved in several insurgent activities in Kashmir and has also carried out attacks in other Indian cities.

Major attacks:

1- 2006 Varanasi bombings
2- Blast at German bakery in Pune
3- The group was also implicated in 2011 Delhi bombing

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About the Author Written by Anuruddh Shukla for helping the aspirants in general awareness.